“As the director of different kinds of clouds, Indra called for the samvartaka. This cloud is invited when there is a need to devastate the whole cosmic manifestation. The samvartaka was ordered by Indra to go over Vrindavana and inundate the whole area with an extensive flood. Demonically, Indra thought himself to be the all-powerful supreme personality.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Volume 1, Chapter 25)

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“Listen, if I were being honest, I would have to admit that I am generally risk averse. Not that I don’t take chances every now and then. Not that I refuse to try something new. It is just that if I have something known, established, and reliable, I tend to stick with it. I am loyal to that which has been good to me. This tendency expands across all aspects of decision-making. For instance, if someone says that we should move, that we need a bigger house, I think of the many things that could go wrong. We have peace and stability right now. If we are going to trade up, so to speak, I better not lose anything in the proposal. Just one blemish or nuisance has me rethinking the decision. It is sort of like choosing to take a different road on the way to work one morning. If you later get stuck in traffic, you end up kicking yourself with regret.

“This is my roundabout way of moving the topic of discussion to the first Govardhana Puja. The one that took place in Vrindavana, at the direct suggestion of Shri Krishna. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the greatest well-wisher to the living entities. He is steady in this role. It is not that He suddenly stops supporting me because I have forgotten Him. We have the example in the Ramayana of Sugriva, the king of the Vanaras. It was the avatara of Rama who actually made Sugriva the king again. Sugriva then forgot about the assistance he received. He took from God. He benefitted from God. Shri Rama did not then cast aside Sugriva forever. Rama would have been justified, but that is not how God behaves with His dependents, who are all of us.

“Anyway, the people in Vrindavana skipped the Indra-yajna. This is something they were otherwise preparing for. It was a great risk to suddenly shift gears, to bring the preparations towards a nearby hill. There was nothing in their sacred texts that recommended this practice. They were following Krishna. Their decision itself was an act of devotion. They were showing bhakti for Krishna by conducting the first Govardhana Puja. But have you ever considered how they could follow so faithfully? Was there no fear? Was there no hedging? Did someone not keep a secret stash of worshipable items, reserved for Indra, just in case the king of heaven later decided to make an appearance?”

It was the worship with impunity that seemed to trigger Indra the most. It is like the case of the haughty celebrity being pulled over for speeding on the highway. They do not even want to go along with the formalities. They will not be polite with the police officer. The officer does not recognize who they have pulled over. The celebrity eventually asks the question: Do you know who I am?

Indra was supplying rain. Indra was supporting the people, who were farmers and protectors of cows and bulls. You could say that Indra was everything to the community. How could the people so brazenly turn their backs on their benefactor? What was the reason? Why would they dare to risk upsetting someone who had so much power?

Perhaps if they got a dose of reality, they would realize their mistake. Maybe if they saw the full capacity of the reserves that Indra held. Maybe if they knew what they were missing, they would rethink their actions. To this end, Indra decided to send the cloud of devastation. Known as samvartaka, this can drop more rain than anyone can conceive of. The sudden appearance of a formidable storm was not common for the season. The rainy season had passed, after all.

वर्षतीन्द्रे व्रज: कोपाद्भग्नमानेऽतिविह्वल:
गोत्रलीलातपत्रेण त्रातो भद्रानुगृह्णता

varṣatīndre vrajaḥ kopād
bhagnamāne ’tivihvalaḥ
gotra-līlātapatreṇa
trāto bhadrānugṛhṇatā

“O sober Vidura, King Indra, his honor having been insulted, poured water incessantly on Vrindavana, and thus the inhabitants of Vraja, the land of cows, were greatly distressed. But the compassionate Lord Krishna saved them from danger with His pastime umbrella, the Govardhana Hill.” (Uddhava, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 3.2.33)

Indra took out his greatest weapon, and the target of the attacks then decided to make a shield out of whatever was there. Krishna, the young child, the darling of the community, used the object of worship to protect the people. Krishna uprooted Govardhana Hill and held it in the air. The people took shelter underneath. They could worship with impunity because Krishna was protecting them. The historical incident is symbolic of the protection we receive when we make a similar decision. Whatever we have got going on right now, the devotional life to Krishna will be superior. It may not seem that way immediately. There may be a devastating storm on the horizon, triggered by the envious, who might have been friendly as recently as yesterday, but Krishna, who is known as Giridhari, will protect that devotion.

In Closing:

Like symbol of hill to project,
My devotion to protect.

Against envy the onslaught,
Like rain that Indra brought.

Mad that worship steady,
That always for Hari ready.

But never mind their negative interference,
Underneath Govardhana plenty of clearance.

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Tags: dailyprompt, govardhana, hare krishna, krishna lila, poem, poems, poetry